Bruce friedrich

Bruce Friedrich

PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER

Bruce Friedrich serves as GFI’s chief thought leader and relationship-builder, working in close partnership with GFI’s global teams and food system stakeholders around the world.

Areas of expertise: alternative proteins generally, GFI’s global programs and strategy, bicycling in heavy traffic.

Bruce oversees GFI’s global strategy, working with and across all of GFI’s international teams (Asia Pacific, Brazil, Europe, India, Israel, and United States) to ensure that GFI is maximally effective at implementing programs that deliver mission-focused results. Bruce is a TED Fellow, Y Combinator alum, 2021 “American Food Hero” (EatingWell Magazine), and popular speaker on food innovation. He has penned op-eds for the Wall Street Journal, Foreign Policy, CNN, Nature Food, Los Angeles Times, Wired, and many other publications. He has represented GFI on the TED Radio Hour, New Yorker Radio Hour, Ezra Klein Show, Making Sense (Sam Harris), ReCode Decode, and other programs and podcasts. Bruce’s 2019 TED talk has been viewed 2.4 million times and translated into 30 languages. He graduated magna cum laude from Georgetown Law and also holds degrees from Johns Hopkins University and the London School of Economics.

TED & other talks/panels

Conventional meat production causes harm to our environment and presents risks to global health, but people aren’t going to eat less meat unless we give them alternatives that cost the same (or less) and that taste the same (or better). In an eye-opening talk that has been seen over 2.4 million times on TED.com, food innovator and TED Fellow Bruce Friedrich shows the plant- and cell-based products that could soon transform the global meat industry — and your dinner plate.
Consumer Electronics Show 2022: The Future of Meat
Plant-based and cultivated meat are poised to transform the global food system. In an eye-opening talk, food innovator Bruce Friedrich shows how government support can move this industry forward, revolutionizing the way we eat.
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health – Eating for a healthy body and a healthy planet
Good Food Institute Founder & President Bruce Friedrich speaks at the Center for Strategic & International Studies Global Food Security Program and the CSIS Energy Security and Climate Change Program.

Podcasts

Outrage and optimism podcast

Hungry For Alternatives

GFI’s Bruce Friedrich is interviewed by Andy Jarvis from the Bezos Earth Fund, as they both unpack the outsized positive impact that alternative proteins can have not only on tackling…

The dispatch podcast logo

The Market-Based Solution to Meat’s External Costs

Bruce chats with The Dispatch’s Sarah Isgur and David French about the market-based case for alternative proteins.

Podcast_sam harris_making sense

Making Sense with Sam Harris: Food, climate & pandemic risk

GFIers Dr. Liz Specht & Bruce Friedrich join Sam Harris for a discussion of GFI, food, climate, antibiotic resistance, and pandemic risk.

Giving what we can podcast logo

Giving What We Can: The EA Case for Alternative Proteins

Bruce chats with Giving What We Can executive director Luke Freeman about the case for alt proteins as a focus for effective altruists (and GFI’s work).

Bruce friedrich and rich roll

Rich Roll & Bruce Friedrich

In a wide-ranging discussion between two good friends, Rich and Bruce talk about alternative proteins, the history of GFI, GFI’s current work, and more.

My climate journey logo

My Climate Journey

GFI founder and executive director Bruce Friedrich shares his climate journey and GFI’s work with MCJ host Jason Jacobs.

Eat for the planet

Eat For The Planet

Bruce talks with host Nil Zacharias about how GFI’s work fits into movements for broader food systems reform.

Ted radio hour

How is eating meat affecting our planet?

Hear GFI executive director Bruce Friedrich explain why it’s critical that we modernize meat production in order to mitigate climate change.

Recode decode podcast

Why finding alternatives to meat is so important

GFI’s executive director explains why biomimicking meat is a win for the planet and for people.

Agfunder logo

Future Food: Alt protein winners, losers, innovation whitespace

GFI executive director Bruce Friedrich discusses the remarkable growth of the alternative protein sector with AgFunder’s Louisa Burwood-Taylor.

Foodtank logo

Trading land for lab: Cultivating clean meat

GFI’s Bruce Friedrich explains why making alternative proteins the default choice is critical for building a sustainable food system.

The ezra klein show podcast

Ending the age of animal cruelty

GFI’s Bruce Friedrich discusses the coming transformation of meat production with Vox’s Ezra Klein.

Articles and op-eds

Nature food logo

Transforming a 12,000-year-old technology

GFI President Bruce Friedrich argues for Nature that animal agriculture is an antiquated technology ripe for transformation.

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Governments must support alt proteins – for climate & food security

GFI president Bruce Friedrich & Climate Advisers CEO Nigel Purvis argue for robust government policies in support of alternative proteins – for climate, food security, and more.

The bulletin logo

Reinventing meat to stave off climate crisis—and the next pandemic

GFI’s Bruce Friedrich talks about how alternative meats could mitigate climate change and help prevent the next pandemic, and he responds to criticisms of corporate greenwashing.

Time logo

The cow that could feed the planet

In a special Time Magazine double issue on climate change, Bruce explains the need for government support for alternative proteins, the value of getting the big meat companies involved, and…

Cnn logo

How alternative meats could help save the planet

GFI’s Bruce Friedrich and Energy Innovation executive director for strategy and policy Anand Gopal argue that the climate community must back (and governments must implement) strong policies in support of…

Eating well logo

Meet the innovator behind the plant-based meat movement

GFI’s Bruce Friedrich was named a 2021 “American Food Hero” – learn why.

The new york times logo

Using meat alternatives to fight climate change

GFI’s Bruce Friedrich explains why the federal government should fund open-access research into plant-based and cultivated meat and incentivize private-sector research in order to meet President Biden’s goal of net-zero…

The washington post logo

Opinion | Cultivated meat is better for the planet – and government should get involved

GFI’s Bruce Friedrich argues that governments should invest in alternative proteins to achieve their climate goals.

Mit technology review logo

Cultured meat has been approved for consumers for the first time

Restaurant-goers in Singapore will soon get the chance to eat chicken nuggets grown in bioreactors.

The guardian logo

I’ve not eaten KFC since the 80s. Its plant-based chicken nuggets will change that

Ignore the naysayers, explains GFI’s Bruce Friedrich. For anyone who cares about the footprint of industrial animal agriculture, we should applaud KFC’s plant-based and cultivated meat plans.

New scientist logo

Dietary change may help us avert future pandemics

GFI’s Bruce Friedrich spells out that among the many steps we could take to lower the risk of the next pandemic, perhaps the most effective would be to stop farming…

Los angeles times logo

Is in vitro meat the new in vitro fertilization?

GFI’s Bruce Friedrich explores the history of society’s opposition and then adoption of new technologies, as well as reasons to expect many consumers to embrace cultivated meat.

Man touching golden heads of wheat while walking through field

Regenerative agriculture and alternative proteins: complementary approaches to feed a growing world

Regenerative agriculture and alternative proteins can work hand-in-hand to create a just, secure, and sustainable food system.

Stanford school of medicine

Stanford Medicine study shows nutrition benefits of plant-based meat

A new Stanford School of Medicine study on the effects of plant-based meat compared to animal-based meat shows nutrition benefits for plant-based meat.

Cultivated chicken meat

Cultivated meat: A growing nomenclature consensus

GFI Founder and CEO Bruce Friedrich explores the increased sector alignment around the preferred category name for meat produced through cellular agriculture.

Celebrating 5 years

Celebrating five years: Announcing our new mission, vision, logo, and website

Five years after our founding, GFI is launching a new brand and website. Both enable us to triple-down on our commitment to a sustainable, secure, and just protein supply.

Sun rising over earth

Plant-based and clean meat are crucial for a sustainable food system

If we are going to effectively address the environmental devastation and public health threats of industrial animal agriculture, it is critical that we develop plant-based and clean meat. Regardless of…

Black and white carriage and horses

History is clear: Innovation will remove animals from industrial systems

Every time we’ve innovated an animal-free way of doing things, that has become the norm. That can happen in food, too. Big milk started one marketing revolution, big meat can…